Locking device for electrically-operated pianos.



J. F. KELLY.

LOOKING DEVICE FOR ELEGTRIGALLY OPERATED PIANOS. AIPLIOATION FILEDMAY'31, 1912.

INVENTOR,

A TTORNEY.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. KELLY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIGALLY-OPER-ATED PIANOS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. KELLY, a

citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State ofMassachusetts, have inin electrically operated piano players and inparticular relates to the subject matter shown, described and claimed inmv prior United States application for Letters Patent No. 651,314 filedSeptember 26, 1911 in which application the actions of the piano areoperated by means of a bank of electro-magnets located immediately backof the fall-board of the instrument, so that when any one of the magnetsof the bank is energized byv means of the electriccircuit being closedthrough a suitable perforation in the notesheet the individual actionwould be oper 'ated similar to the manner in which the in-' strument ismanually operated. In this above-referred-to application no means was,shown or provided for retaining the keys} of the instrument in anelevated position when the action was electrically operated, or in otherwords, the keys would drop attheir forward ends when the'weight of theactions were removed from the rear portions The present invention isdeof the keys. signed to overcome this objection and is so constructedand arranged that when the note-sheet is drawn through the circuitclosing device a suitable opening in the notesheet will cause theclosure of the circuit to a suitable electro-magnet, which in turn, willcause the looking bar to be moved into contact with the rear portions ofthe keys. WVhen this bar is in its locking position the keys will beretained in their normal elevated or horizontal positions, and cannot bemanually operated, nor can they fall or drop when the weight of theaction is removed from their inner ends. In general this locking devicecomprises a bar member in which its longest axis stands in a verticallane or position when the bar is serving to ock the keys, and its longeraxis will lie in a horizontal plane when the keys are unlocked. It is tobe understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the preciseconstruction of this locking bar as the. above Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed May 31, 1912.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914:.

Serial No. 700,761.

mentioned form is merely illustrative of its function and operation ofthis member.

Referring to the drawings :Figure 1 is a sectional view through thekey-board of a piano of the upright type illustrating one unit of theaction and one of the operating magnets of the bank that moves theaction; the locking bar being shown in a position to retain the keysagainst movement. Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the electro-mechanicalmeans for operating the locking bar and the magnet for releasing orunlatching this bar at the termination of the playing of a piece ofmusic.

Referring to the drawings in detail a designates the usual key-bed ofthe instrument, Z) one of the keys, 0 one form of fall-board, which isadapted to be moved forward and backward on the track d. One of theunits of the action of the instrument is designated as a whole by theletter 6, and one of the piano wires is shown at e against which thehammer c strikes. One of the magnets of the bank is designated by theletter f, which bank is carried by the bar 9 that extends lengthwise ofthe instrument and is suitably secured to the casing or frame work atits opposite ends.

h designates an electro-magnet of the same type as the magnets composingthe bank, one of which is shown at f. These magnets, preferably two innumber, are located at the opposite ends of the instrument.

i designates the armature of this magnet, which is the same inconstruction as that shown in the patent to Powers and Jewell No.753,809, March 1, 1904: (see Fig. 20), and attached or secured to thisarmature is the locking bar 7' that extends lengthwise of the instrumentwhich is located immediately above the inner ends of the keys I). Thisbar is provided with an arm is attached thereto to which is connected aspring m, its opposite end being suitably secured to a fixed support asshown at 0. An arm ;0 is attached to the bar j and extends outward intothe path of the lower end of the lever g which is pivotally mounted tothe casing as shown at r and is normally drawn toward the left by meansof the spring .9. The outer end of the arm 29 is notched, as shown, toprevent the lever g being drawn too far inward by the spring 8.

t designates an electro-magnet that is arranged to attract the lever 9when energized and effect the release of the arm p. This electro-magnetis energized after the current is closed to the bank of magnets f bymeans of a suitable slot in the note-sheet permitting the current toflow to this magnet causing the lever g to be attracted therebyunlocking the arm 79 and permitting the spring to turn the'bar j into ahorizontal plane position. When the bar y is in the locking positionshown in Fig. 1 it is clear that the keys I) cannot fall when the weightof the action 6 is removed from the inner end of the keys and also thekeys cannot be manuallyoperated while the instrument is beingelectrically operated.

In operation the bar j is moved by the armature z of the electro-magneth to its locking position, shown in Fig. 2, by means of a suitablyplaced slot in the note-sheet which closes an electrical-connection tothe magnet h and causes the armature i and the bar 7', to which it isattached, to be turned to the vertical position shown. This slot shouldbe located at the commencement of the playing of the piece, thusefiecting a saving in the consumption of electric energy. By locatingthe slot which effects the closure of the electric circuit to the magnet h near the commencement of the playing of the piece, the necessityof energizing this magnet for any considerable length of time isobviated. The bar will remain in the locking position shown in Fig. 2until it is released by the magnet t attracting the arm 9, which,releasing operation is effected by means of a suitably located slot inthe music sheet at the termination of the piece which will cause theclosing of the circuit to the magnet. The lever Q will then release thearm 12, whereby the spring we will turn the locking bar 7' to to engagethe rear ortion of the keys to lock the same, an e ectro-magnet to movethe bar to a locking osition, an electroma net to release said ar, anarmature for eaci of said magnets, the bar being secured to the armatureof one of the electro-magnets, an arm on the bar, the armature of theother electro-magnet arranged to engage the arm and retain the bar in aposition to lock the keys, and means to rotate the bar to a position tounlock the keys when the arm is released whereby when one of theelectromagnets is energized the bar will be moved to an unlockingposition and when the other electro-magnet is energized the bar will bemoved to a locking position, as described.

3. An elcctro-mechanical device to lock the manually-operable keys of apiano, electro-magnetic means to operate the tone sounding devices ofthe instrument, said device comprising, in combination, a rotatablymounted bar located over and adjacent the inner ends of said keys,electro-magnets, armatures therefor, said bar-member being secured tothe armature of one of the electromagnets, means to lock the bar in itslooking position, the armature of the othen electro-magnet serving tounlock said bar, means to energize said magnets, whereby when one of themagnets is energized the bar is moved to engage the upper surface of thekeys to prevent their manual operation, and said keys will be preventedfrom falling at their forward ends when the instrument is beingelectrically operated and whereby when the other magnet is energized thebar will be unlocked, as described.

4. In a musical instrument, the combination with the manually-operablekeys thereof, electrically operated devices to operate the instrumentindependently of the manually: operable keys, a rotatably mounted!member to lock said keys against manual operation, an electro-magnet tooperate said member, a second electro-magnet and means operated by thesecond electro-magnet to release said member, and means to rotate saidmember after its release by the second electro-magnet to move the sameto a Osition to permit the manual operation 0 the keys.

JOHN F. KELLY.

Witnesses:

K. I. CLEMoNs, HARRY N. BOWEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

